Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-05-25
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
Several Applications and arguments
Heard by the Commission.

Z
! Heard by the Commission.
| WASHINGTON, May 24.--JOhn Newell,
President of the Lake Shore and Michigan
Southern road, was before the Interstate
Commerce Commission to-day and gave
testimony in support of the joint petition
of the Lake Shore and Pittsburg and Lake
Erie roads for suspension of the long
and short haul clause of the law as applied
to freight and passenger traffic from Pitts
burg via Youngstown, Ohio, destined for
New York, Boston and other points in New
England, New York and Pennsylvania.
Frank Thompson, Vice President of the
Pennsylvania railroad, submitted testi-
mOny in opposition to the proposed sus-
pension of the clause.
John Scott, as attorney for the Penn
sdlvania railroad company, said he had
never known an application so indefinite
Is that under consideration. 1t would if
granted, leave the companies at liberty to
fix their local rates at an indefinite number
of points without regard to geographical
locations.
John Newell, President and Manager of
the Lake Shore Company, and President
of the Pittsburg and Lake Erie Company,
was examined relative to the rOutesOt these
roads and their tariffs. He said he had
heard no complaints of local rates, and it
was desired that these rates be maintained
while the through rates are reduced in
order to secure Pittsburg business going to
New York.
ID. S. Gray, of the Western division of
the Pennsylvania Company, opposed the
application. He said that rates Of the
Pennsylvania Company had been adjusted
in conformity with the terms of law and
the result up to the present time mad been
satisfactory. Possibly exceptional circum-
stances might arise to cause complaint but
he thought railroads must give and take in
this matter and the laws should be fairly
tested
Vice President Thompson, of the Penn
sylvania Company, said that the 4th sec
tiOn of the law was in cases beneficial to
the railroads. Here, for instance, it pre-
vented a long road like that represented by
Newell from entering into competition with
short direct roads.
The Boston and Albany Railroad Com
pany has filed with the Commission
complaint against the Boston and Lowell,
the Concord, the Northern, the Central
Vermont and the Grand Trunk Railroad
Companies, charging that these companies,
under the name of the National Dispatch
Line, have issued schedules OF joint rates
to Detroit and other points i'll the West,
where they come in competition with the
Boston and Albany Company and its con-
nectons, which are less than those of the
latter company To the same point, while at
the same time certain combination Of
roads, including q part OF the roads
in the National Dispatch Line, viz:
the Boston and Lowell, Concord, Northern
and Central Vermont maintain higher rates
to st. Albau5 and other intermediate
points than the despatch line charges to
terminal points; that is. higher rates for n
short haul than for the long haul on the
same line in the same direction on five
upper classes Of freight. The Boston and
Albany also complain that the Boston and
Lowell, Concord, Northern Vermont, Cen
tral Vermont and the Ogdcnsburg and
Lake Champlain Companies have made ar
rangements by which .. steamship COM
pany operated by the Ogdenshurg and
Lake Champain Company has issued
tariff from Boston to the lake ports in the
United States when it comes in competitor
with the Boston and Albany at 4 less rate
than is charged from Boston to Ogdrns-
burg and other points on the same line ut
Il shorter distance from Boston in the Slme
direction.
| 4. J. Reed, the Pittsburg, Lake Erie and
Western; r. J. Brooks, representing the
Pennsylvania, and Others argued the qucs-
tian.
Il. A. Delamater, Superintendent of the
Meadville and I.ineSville railroad company,
appeared to request suspension of the
long and short haul clause, SD far rs it
affects eastern business on that road, so ~
| to meet trunk line rates.